Electric rat-exterminator.



J. W. M. CARMICHAEL.

ELECTRIC RAT EXTERMINATOR.

APPLICATION FILED OOT.16, 1911.

1,034,976. Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

WITNESSES A IIVVENTUR Jame-r 11/][Qrmz'c/aael JAMES W. M. CARMICHAEL, OFWELLSBURG, NEST VIEGINEA.

ELECTRIC RAT-EXTERMINATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ring. 6; it 912.

Application filed October 16, 1911. Serial No. 654,799.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES \V. M. CAR- ,mcrnu-in, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of \Vellsburg,'in the county of Brooke and Stateof Vest Virginia, have invented a new and Improved Electric Rat-Exterminator, of which the following is a full. clear, and exactdescription.

The object of the present invention is to produce a rat exterminatorwhich shall be of simple and cheap construction, and one, which, bymeans of an electric circuit arranged to be automatically closed by theanimal as it passes into and through the apparatus, will kill the rat.

A further object is to so construct the an paratus that the rat as it iskilled will fall from the entering passage, and in which the circuitwill be automatically opened preparatory to another operation.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, constituting a partof this specification, in which similar characters of reference denotecorresponding parts in all the views and in which Figure 1 shows alongitudinal section view through an apparatus embodying the inventionupon line 1-1 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 2 shows a vertical sectional viewtaken on the line 22 in Fig. 1.

The apparatus comprises a suitable casing 1 which maybe constructed ofany suitable material and preferably in the form a rectangular box,having the sides 2, a bottom 3, a top 4, and the end pieces 5.

The end pieces 5 are each provided with a ccnt-rai opening 6, which, asshown, are located about at the center of the end' pieces andcommunicate with passages 7, through which the animal may pass after itenters the opening 6. As shown in the drawing, there are two of thepassages 7 located in horizontal alinement with each other, and they areconstructed of a part 8 substan tialty cylindrical in cross section,which is supported at one end by means of a collar 9 attached to theinner face of the end piece 5, and for a purpose to be hereinafterdescribed, the parts 8 are preferably made of glass or some otherinsulating material. Each of the parts 8 is provided at its inner endwith a metallic extension 10, flaring outwardly at its inner end 11, andprovided with the rounded collar or flange 12. The metallic extension 10is fitted to a cylindrical portion 13 of the parts 8 as shown clearly inFig. l of the drawing.

T 0 support the inner ends of the tubular passages, there are providedthe depending brackets 14 which are secured at their up per ends bymeans of screws 15, at the under side of the top 4, and which extendbeneath the metallic extensions 10. As hereinbefore stated, theapparatus is intended to be constructed so as to pass an electriccurrent through the body of the animal. and for this purpose, conductors1G and 17 from a source of electrical supply are led through the casing1 through apertures 18 located in the top 4, and have their lower ends19 and '20 connected one to each of the metallic extensions 10. Asclearly shown-in Fig. 2 of the drawing, these metallic extensions 15 areat their inner ends spaced apart so that the circuit is normally broken.It is the intention that the rat as it enters the passages 7 andattempts to pass through in either di rection, shall come in contactwith a movable circuit closer, and in its effort to still. furthertraverse passages 7 the circuit closer will be moved to contact with oneor the other of the metallic extensions 10 and thus establish a circuitthrough the body of the rat. Preferably, this movable circuit closerwill consist of a metallic wire basket 21 suspended by means of a coiledspring 22 which is connected at its upper end as by means of a screw 23to the top 4 of the casing, and it normally-holds the basket 21 in anintermediate position in the opening or space between the inner ends ofthe metallic extensions 10, and out of contact therewith. k

The metallic basket 21 is intended to receive and contain any suitablebait 24. to attract the animals into the apparatus.

To facilitate the entrance of the animal into the opening 6, theapparatus at each end will be provided with an inclined runway 2-5leading to the opening 6.

In operation, the animal enters at the opening 6, passes through thepassage 7 at tracted by the bait 24, and in order to reach the basket 21containing the bait, he brings his fore paws into contact with themetallic extension 10. Tn his efforts to secure the bait 24, he will innosing the basket. 21, push it toward the opposite metallic exten sion10, the spring 22 yielding to permit this, and as soon as the basket. 21makes contact with the opposite extension\l0, the circuit is closed andcompleted through the extension 10, the basket 21, the animals body andthe other extension 10, the shock killing the rat. As the rat is killed,it slides out of the flaring, bell-like opening 11 of the extension 10,and preferably, a removable box or tray 26 will be provided into whichthe dead rats will drop, and from which they may be removed by means ofa hinged door 27 in one of the sides 2 of the casing 1.

In order to insure an effective electric circuit through the body of theanimal, the glass parts 8 of the passages 7 will preferably be providedwith a bulging portion 28 adapted to receive a small quantity of water29, so that as the rat passes through the passage 7, his fore feet willget wet and thus facilitate the electrical contact with the metallicextensions. 10.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. A. rat exterminator, comprising a suitable casing having an openingtherein at each end, and insulated passageways leading inward from theopenings in line with each other but disconnected at their inner ends,metallic extensions forming the inner ends of said passageways, electricconductors connected to such extensions, and a movable contact pieceinterposed between the metallic extensions but normally out of contacttherewith.

2. A rat exterminator, comprising a cas ing, having insulated metallicpassageways leading into the casing in line with each other but spacedapart at their inner ends, electric conductors connected to saidpassageways, and a freely movable cont-act piece interposed between theends of the passageways but normally out of contact therewith.

3. A rat exterminator, comprising two in sulated metallicchanneledbodies arranged in alinement and spaced apart, electric conductorsconnected with the inner ends of the bodies, and a movable contactbetween the bodies and normally out of contact therewith.

4. A rat exterminator, comprising an insulated metallic channeled body,an insulated metallic member spaced from the inner end of the body,electric conductors connected with the said member and t e body, and amovable contact at the inner end of the body and normally out of contactwith said member, said contact being adapted to be moved into engagementwith the member by the rat in the be 5. A rat exterminator, comprisingan insulated metallic channeled body, an insulated metallic memberarranged at and spaced fr the inner end of the body, eleccric conductorsconnected with the said member and the body, and a swinging contact inthe form of a bait holder at the inner Copies of this patent may beobtained for tacle in its bottom, an insulated metallic member spacedfrom the inner end of the body, electric conductors connected with thesaid member and the metallic inner end of the body, and a movablecontact at the inner end of the body and adapted to be moved intoengagement with the said member by the rat in the body. i

7 A rat' exterminator, comprising an in sulated channeled body having ametallic inner end and provided with an annular enlargement intermediateof its ends "forming a water receptacle, an insulated metallic memberspaced from the inner end of the body, electric conductors connectedwith said member and the metallic end of the body, and a movablecontactat the inner end of the body and adapted to be moved intoengagement with the said member by the rat in the body.

8. A rat exterminator, comprising a cas ing having insulated metallicpassageways leading into the casing in line with each other, but spacedapart at their inner ends, electric conductors connected to suchpassageways, and a swinging contact piece interposed between the endsof. the passageways, but normally out of contact therewith.

9. A rat-exterminator, comprising a casing having insulated metallicpassageways leading into the casing in line with each other, but spacedapart at their inner ends. electric conductors connected to saidpassageways, a contact piece, a coiled spring supporting said cont-actpiece between the ends of the passageways, but normally; out of contacttherewith. I

10. A rat exterminator, comprising'a casing having insulated metallicpassageways leading into the casing in line with each other, but spacedapart at their inner ends. electric conductors connected to saidpassageways, a movable metallic bait basket, and means to support saidbasket between the ends of the passageways, but normally out of contacttherewith.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES W. M. CARMICHAEL.

itnesses:

JOHN C. PALMER, Jr., J. A. GIsT.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents, Washington.I). C.

